ONE of the greatest dangers to the Christian life is the desire to please people rather than God. It is a temptation that has followed Christians since the Apostles fled the garden and Peter denied Jesus.

Likewise, one of the greatest crises in the Church today is the real lack of men and women who courageously and unashamedly associate themselves with Jesus Christ. Perhaps Cardinal Ratzinger (Benedict XVI) gave the most compelling reason as to why more and more Christians are abandoning the Barque of Peter: they are caving into a…